Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9

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  1. TheKillerFries
    Jul 2, 2023
    7
    This is a strange remake - and not exactly in a bad way. After all, the original Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life was a strange game, though that's partly where the issue lies. As someone who put many, many hours into the original game growing up, I can personally say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the remake. However, it's hard not to feel as though this is a remake made almostThis is a strange remake - and not exactly in a bad way. After all, the original Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life was a strange game, though that's partly where the issue lies. As someone who put many, many hours into the original game growing up, I can personally say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the remake. However, it's hard not to feel as though this is a remake made almost exclusively for fans of the original.

    In this sense, it actually caters to those fans pretty well. Those who have played the original to any extensive degree will know that the game has no shortage of quirks, hidden mechanics and esoteric unlockables to find over the course of its story. I had wondered whether they'd keep these in the remake given how vague the game can be in pointing you towards these objectives, but I was surprised to find that they've seemingly embraced that aspect of the original.

    It remains unlike any other game in the series, and really the genre. The game hearkens back to the original Harvest Moon games by getting upgrades more often through relationship-building than resource gathering, and still has many time-gated rewards that can straight-up be missed if unaware or unprepared. Whether or not this appeals to you really depends on your preferences, but it's hard not to call the remake "faithful" in that regard.

    Adding to the fact that this is really more of a game for the fans is the expanded character development. While the original had no shortage of story, the remake keeps practically all of that and adds a substantial amount of further character development and cutscenes for each of the locals. While the writing definitely feels different than the loosely-translated Gamecube original, it feels more like a celebration of Forget-Me-Not Valley (renamed to Forgotten Valley) and its residence than anything else.

    Because of this, its hard to recommend it to anyone who hasn't played the original, or at least to anyone who doesn't know what they're getting into with this installment of the series. In a time where games like Stardew Valley exist, it's difficult to overstate just how bizarre of a farming/life sim A Wonderful Life is; whether that fits your appetite is extremely subjective. At the very least, there are still tons of quality of life improvements to the base mechanics that do make the game at least somewhat accessible to new players, so I'd say it's at least worth a shot.

    Maybe not for $50 of course, but I'd consider it a solid buy at $20-$30.    … Expand
  2. HumanoidGREY
    Aug 2, 2023
    6
    In a world where feel good farm sims are not a niche anymore, A Wonderful Life doesn't do enough to stand out. I noticed from the beginning that there is no challenge at all to anything in the game. Farming speaks for itself, raising animals couldn't be more easy, fishing is nothing more than pressing a single button, mining is also nothing more than pressing a single button and there isIn a world where feel good farm sims are not a niche anymore, A Wonderful Life doesn't do enough to stand out. I noticed from the beginning that there is no challenge at all to anything in the game. Farming speaks for itself, raising animals couldn't be more easy, fishing is nothing more than pressing a single button, mining is also nothing more than pressing a single button and there is barely anything to explore. The world is extremely small, even for these kinds of games. I really want to like this game but it sadly just bores me. For a beginner in this genre it might not be a bad start, but for experienced players this game offers nothing interesting. There are better options out there, even from the same franchise!… Expand
  3. Awkylold
    Jul 25, 2023
    4
    While the game improved in many ways such as new events, crops, and animals, it came with a cost.
    This more of a watered down version of the original game. It makes it less of a challenge if none of your animals can die and that you don't even have to feed them. I get that the gameplay was changed to be easier on new players, but this was a core mechanic in the original. At least give an    While the game improved in many ways such as new events, crops, and animals, it came with a cost.
    This more of a watered down version of the original game. It makes it less of a challenge if none of your animals can die and that you don't even have to feed them. I get that the gameplay was changed to be easier on new players, but this was a core mechanic in the original. At least give an option to change it back with a difficulty.
    If you're a casual gamer, you might be fine. But play the original Gamecube version if you can.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. PC Invasion
    Jul 5, 2023
    80
    Marvelous Inc. recreated a great remake of the 20-year-old Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. While there are some things that make it feel outdated, there are also plenty of quality-of-life changes that make this a worthwhile farming game.
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  2. GameSkinny
    Jun 30, 2023
    90
    When I play Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, I feel the enchantment of nostalgia, but it’s mixed with the fresh features and looks of being remade. If you like farming sims, particularly the old Harvest Moon games before the name change, then I highly recommend Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. Marvelous Inc. took an iconic farming simulator and managed to make it even better.
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  3. PC Gamer
    Jun 27, 2023
    77
    A Wonderful Life is the first that's properly forced me to settle down and I've found its focus on slowly and carefully tending my farm isn't defunct; it's a different strain of sim that deserves to bloom again after being left fallow for so many seasons.
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